Design Exquis

Design Exquis is a series of exhibition inspired by the collective method of creation, developed by the Surrealists, known as Exquisite Corpse (Cadavre Exquis).
Invited by Design Exquis to be part of the series for Clerkenwell Design Week 2013, we were excited to see what we would be given for the starting inspiration. Understand the project more in this video.

The rules are simple :

An object is chosen for its design qualities.

A designer is invited to react to it by producing a work.

This work is, in turn, answered to by a second designer.

The process is repeated.

None of the designers but the first one know what the first object is.

None of the designers know who the others are.

The only information they receive is the last object created.

For each edition, there are four group of designers in total. Each designer is given a short deadline to create their response, using the exhibition and the language of design to start a dialogue with each other and the audience about design, the design process and the interconnection of ideas.

The resulting objects and explanations about the process by which they were conceived are unveiled during an exhibition.

What did we create?

Supplied with a stethoscope as a starting point we began to sketch and prototype...

Our response ?

'Breathe'

' Taking the simplest and purest use of the stethoscope as inspiration, Breathe responds by making the audible visible; impacting its environment. The soothing yet repetitive, automated gentle glowing and dimming of the light is suggestive of breath slowing rising and falling. Its form, derived from the shape of lungs, creates an organic but structured flower-like cluster, reminiscent of alveoli. Wrapped in matt lycra, the material closely hugs the skeleton of the lamp alluding to skin. The finished article is a beautifully mesmerising light feature.'